


Switch

by MsEllieJane



Series: Switch AU [2]
Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hair Pulling, Light Dom/sub, Smut, Very very alternate universe, an unusual form of therapy, and some fluff for good measure, face-slapping, in which Lorca was Prime all along
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 04:44:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16298411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsEllieJane/pseuds/MsEllieJane
Summary: “You remember your safe word?” His breath tickled her ear and she shivered.“ Serotonin. You?”“ Warp core breach.”In which Katrina asks for what she really wants...In which Lorca was his Prime universe self all along and Lethe played out very differently.





	1. The static of your arms

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-post of a story I posted earlier this year and took down after some discouraging comments. Some kind and lovely people have encouraged me to post it again, so here it is! I wrote this before the mirror!lorca reveal, so it is essentially an au in which Lorca was his real Prime universe self all along and just having a very bad year. 
> 
> This story contains explicit content, explicit consent and switching power dynamics within an established relationship. Please read at your discretion. Chapter titles from Strangeness and Charm by Florence + The Machine.

The sudden burst of clarity hit her while she was lying helpless, with a hand at her throat and a phaser to her head. She thought it was was a mistake at first, and when his grip loosened and he sat back, apologetic, she just stared at him, adrenaline coursing through her veins. His voice seemed muffled, drowned out by her hammering heart.

“Kat, I’m so sorry, I’m not used to having someone in my bed.” When she didn’t respond, he looked concerned.

“Kat, please, are you ok? Please say something.” He stroked her face with the sort of gentleness she hadn’t felt from anyone in years. She shut her eyes, trying to decide if what she wanted to do next was horrible or just foolish. _Of course it’s horrible_ , screamed every rational part of her brain. It went against everything she knew to be right and ethical, but at that moment she wanted it so fiercely that none of that could stop her. When she opened her eyes, he looked terrified.

“Gabriel, I need you to listen to me carefully.” She found herself falling into a familiar state of mind, a role she used to play long ago but still felt like second nature.

“Right now I should be relieving your sorry ass of command for lying on your psych evals because you are obviously not fine. You are psychologically and emotionally compromised and anyone else in Starfleet Command would yank you away from this ship faster than that spore drive can jump. Despite all of that and despite every rational thought currently screaming at me, what I want right now more than anything is for you to do that again.” She saw the emotions travel across his face, morphing from fear to anger to complete shock.

“Wait...what?” She watched the shock on his face transform into recognition as he fit the pieces together.

“Really? You mean....” His voice trailed off not wanting to put it into words. She nodded at him slowly.

“I don’t know why, but just now it all came back. I was terrified and furious but at the same time more turned on than I’ve been in years. All of those memories came flooding back and I remembered how good it used to be, how good we were together.”

She could tell the same memories were filling his mind. The sight of her tied up and blindfolded, spread across his bed as he ran ice cubes over her skin. The desperate, needy sounds he was able to wring out of her so easily. The way he felt while naked and kneeling at her feet as she rested her leather boot-clad feet on his back. The look of bliss on his face when she made him crawl to her. That feeling of give and take, knowing exactly what the other wanted and switching roles like breathing.

“Are you sure, Kat?” He seemed torn between his memories of past debauchery and the precarious current situation.

“Yes. Very sure. Everything that happens in this room is between us alone and I’m going into this completely willingly.”

“Ok,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Tell me exactly what you want. You were always good with details and if we are going to do this, I need you to be very specific”

“No breathplay,” she began, not mincing words. “It’s too dangerous and it’s been too long since either of us has been in this dynamic. At least for me it has, I don’t mean to assume in your case…” He responded with a small nod of confirmation and she continued.

“I want you to hold me down by the throat, enough to immobilize me but not cut off my air. I want you to pull my hair and talk to me in the filthy way you know I like.” He smiled immediately at that and she knew he wouldn’t let her down.  

“Also, if you are up for it, I want you to fuck me again. Harder and faster this time, show me no mercy.” She felt shy putting those words out in the open, casting her eyes down. He grabbed her hand drew it to his already hard cock, still smiling at her.

“I am most definitely up for it and happy to oblige, Kat.”

“That’s an impressive refractory period for a man your age,“ she laughed, her previous anger now a distant memory. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head in response, bringing his mouth to her ear.

“You remember your safe word?” His breath tickled her ear and she shivered.

“ _Serotonin_. You?”

“ _Warp core breach_.”

She had thought it was odd that he wanted to use a phrase instead of a single word but it certainly got her attention the one time he used it. She had inadvertently tied his wrists too tightly, cutting off his circulation, and his hands were rapidly turning purple. She had immediately gone into doctor mode when he alerted her to it, massaging his hands to get the blood flowing again and checking for damage. It had frightened her at the time but it was a good lesson on the importance of attention to detail.

“Any limits?” he asked.

“I probably still have my old checklist in a file cache somewhere, but nothing new. You?”

“Same, and I definitely have your old checklist. Not that I was holding onto it for sentimental reasons.” Of course he wasn’t.

“Any new injuries, health issues?”

“None, though I’m not as flexible as I used to be. What about you, besides the eyes?” He hesitated, which told her everything.

“Nothing.”

“Liar. But that’s a conversation for later. One last thing,” she said, “give me that phaser.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m not going to shoot you, just give it to me.” He handed the phaser to her and she grasped it by the barrel, making sure the safety was on.

“When you have me by the throat, take this and put it in my hand. If I drop it, that’s my safeword.”

“Good thinking,” he said, looking impressed. She shrugged and put the phaser down where he could easily grab it.

“I just figured it would be fitting to use the thing you just terrified me with to make sure you don’t accidentally kill me.”

“Are you ready?” She nodded in response.

“I need to hear you say it, are you ready?”

“Yes, sir” she responded in a soft voice, and a small part of her brain sang with joy to say those words to him again.

She expected him to go right for her throat but he surprised her by sitting back and pulling her up to face him. Her stared at her appraisingly and she felt a familiar thrill racing up her spine. 

“Take off your tank top,” he ordered and she complied immediately. He continued to stare at her with a combination of hardness and hunger, so she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.

“Back to the Starfleet regulation underwear, I see,” he uttered dismissively, running a finger along her clavicle. “I remember the scandalous things you used to wear under your uniform, sweetheart. Prim and proper Lieutenant Cornwell, counseling crewmembers like a good officer while secretly dressed like a harlot.” She began breathing faster, mentally begging him to continue.

“I would get so hard every time I saw you in passing, knowing that at the end of our shift I would either be ripping those flimsy scraps off your body or you would be stuffing them in my mouth to gag me. Either way, I knew it would be fantastic. I could read you so perfectly and knew exactly what that twisted little mind of yours wanted.” He left it unspoken that she knew his mind just as well, probably better.

“Take off the bra,” he ordered. She removed it slowly, the way she knew he liked. She held it from her fingertips and let it dangle. At a nod of his head, she let it fall.

“Good girl,” he sighed. “Always so obedient when you want to be.”

He reached over and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her in for a kiss. The sudden pain mixed with lust was intoxicating and had her melting into him. It was so different from the rushed kisses they had shared an hour ago. The submissive streak she always kept hidden was out in full force and it felt so good to not have to be The Admiral with him.  

“You are so fucking gorgeous, Kat. You know that, right? Your tits are as perfect as they were when you were 27 and I can’t stop staring at them. Even when you are in uniform and yelling at me from across a conference table with the rest of the Admirals, your tits are usually on my mind.” She had to smile at that and he tightened his grip on her hair in response. She winced at the small bite of pain and the subsequent rush of endorphins. Back when her hair was longer, she would keep it in a ponytail just to watch him wrap it around his hand before pulling it.

He held her firmly by the hair with her back arched towards him and slowly ran a finger down her torso. When he got to her underwear, he muttered “take these off”. She lifted her hips and slid them off, wishing they were something other than Starfleet regulation. She briefly considered wearing fancy lingerie while in uniform again, at least when she knew she was going to see him. Just in case.

He let go of her hair and gestured for her to lie down. She complied, keeping eye contact with him the entire time. Again, he ran a finger from the valley between her breasts, down across planes of her belly. When he reached the wetness between her legs, he hummed in approval.

“Damn Kat, you weren’t kidding. I don’t think I’ve ever felt you this drenched before, you needy little _bitch_.” As he emphasised the last word, part of her mind chided her for taking so much pleasure from being called names. He brought his slick fingers up to her mouth and she took them in, sucking while staring at him through half-lidded eyes.

“I suppose some of that is me though,” he said in low voice and she nodded. He moved his fingers back between her legs and began to slowly tease her in the maddening way she loved. He took his time and had her squirming beneath his touch. When she was on the brink of coming he pulled his hand back and she sighed in frustration.

“Patience, Kat,” he chided. He then eyed the phaser and his voice briefly softened.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, Sir,” she said, nodding for emphasis. He put the barrel of the phaser in her hand, his face hardening again once he was certain she had a good grip on it.

He put his hand to her throat and grasped it firmly but carefully, making sure she could breathe. A blissful helplessness overtook her and she revelled in it, taking pleasure from the thing that had previously frightened her. He motioned for her to spread her legs and she did, hooking one leg around his waist. When he sank into her, she inhaled sharply at how good it felt. This was on a completely different level from their hurried tryst a few moments ago.

He met her earlier demands, fucking her hard and fast with the same hungry energy he’d shown years ago. She wrapped her other leg around his waist and hung on to him, resisting the urge to wrap her arms around him as well. She kept them pinned to the bed, kept her voice muted except for sharp breaths. As she let herself fall into their old dynamic, she felt the rush of endorphins to her system, pinging each nerve ending. She saw on his face that he knew exactly what she was experiencing.

He shifted his hips and hiked one of her legs up higher so that each thrust hit just the right spot and she could no longer suppress her moans. His grip on her throat tightened slightly and whispered words started falling from her lips, unbidden. A litany of _“please”_ and _“fuck”_ and _“yes, like that,”_ chanted like a prayer. He growled in response, grabbing her hips and driving into her at full force. This sent her careening over the edge and as she rode out the pleasure, she distantly heard his voice crying out roughly.

Coming down from the high, common sense crashed into her and left her reeling. As he rolled off of her and lay beside her, panting, she closed her eyes, not wanting to look at him just yet.

Her inner monologue was a litany of screamed curse words. She cursed herself for doing something so risky and stupid with someone she knew was in a fragile mental state. She cursed him for pulling the phaser on her, for lying on his psych evals, for taking so many risky chances with people’s lives at stake. She cursed the Klingons, Starfleet Command and then herself again for good measure. She knew what she needed to do but also knew Gabriel well enough to know that he would find a way out of it. Compromise was necessary and her stubborn nature hated the idea. 

“Kat, you ok?” She opened her eyes and saw the look of concern on his face. He reached out a hand to gently touch her neck, examining it for bruises. He moved to gather her in his arms and she let him, feeling conflicted.

“Yeah, I’m good, I promise,” she lied. “That was perfect and probably the best sex I’ve had in 10 years.” That part wasn’t a lie. He seemed very pleased at that and she hesitated before continuing. “It was just unwise of me to initiate that, given the current circumstances.”

“What do you mea--” His question was cut off by Saru’s voice coming through on the discarded communicator on the bedside table.

As the first officer explained that Sarek had been injured and would not be able to carry out his diplomatic mission, Kat shut her eyes again and took several deep breaths. When Gabriel  told Saru that he was on his way to Sickbay, she held up a hand to stop him.

“Gabriel, it has to be me. I have to go meet with the Klingons.” He started to object and she cut him off. “I’m the only person with diplomatic experience to carry out this mission who can get there in time. I’m certain Starfleet Command will agree with me on this.” She could see immediately that he did not like this idea

“What if it’s a trap, Kat?”

“It’s very likely a trap, but I still have to take that chance. This could give us the edge we need in this conflict and we can’t just let the window expire without trying. Besides, you didn’t seem upset at the idea of Sarek potentially walking into a trap.” She could tell that he wanted to say “it isn’t the same” and argue with her some more, but instead he took both of her hands in his and squeezed them.

“When I get back we need to talk about what’s going on with you, Gabriel. All of my training tells me that you aren’t stable enough to command this ship, but as you said, there’s a war on. You are the one getting the results we need, despite your risky choices, so I’m willing to compromise. I want to come up with a solution that works for everyone. That might mean bringing a counselor onboard to keep an eye on you, would you agree to that?”

“Maybe you could be the one to keep an eye on me. I’d like that a lot more.” He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers. She knew he was evading the question but couldn’t help smiling.

“I would too, Gabriel.” He kissed her forehead as she tried to keep down the emotions that threatened to spring up.

“Kat, I’m sorry about--”

“Forget about it. It happened and we dealt with it, albeit not in the most orthodox manner. I’ll be fine, I promise.” She wasn’t sure if that was a lie or not.

Without speaking, they fell into their usual ritual of slowly dressing each other, making sure that nothing looked rumpled or out of place. He picked her insignia up from the table where she had placed it and carefully affixed it to her chest.

“Gabriel,” she paused, trying not to let emotion betray her. “If anything happens to me, you can’t break orders from Starfleet. If they say to stand down, don’t come looking for me.”

“I can’t promise that, Kat.” She saw the conflicted look on his face and realized the true depth of the feelings he still harbored. She forced herself to ignore that realization.

“Don’t put the ship or crew at unnecessary risk, please promise me that.”

He nodded and she nodded back. As she followed him out of the room, she hoped desperately that she hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of her life.


	2. It is the Catalyst

Katrina was only slightly surprised at being rescued, perhaps it was the final look he gave her as she boarded the shuttle that tipped her off. She knew he was protective of his ship, but he still came for her and she was grateful for that.

There were no holding cells on the Klingon ship so she had spent 31 hours chained to a wall in the cargo bay, surrounded by guards. None of them touched her, but the time spent in a stress position with no food, water or sleep had taken its toll and she was beamed directly to sickbay. 

They also managed to beam the leaders of the two Klingon houses to the brig before destroying the ship. This helped assuage her guilt slightly, that  _ Discovery _ had something to show besides her for the trouble it had gone through. She knew the guilt was irrational, but her years of command had taught her to put herself last. A guns-blazing rescue just for her seemed like a waste of time and resources, but the fact that he hadn’t thought so was comforting.

When he came down to Sickbay to see her, she was receiving IV fluids while Dr. Culber ran an osteogenic regenerator over her broken wrists. The firefight between Discovery and the Klingon ship had disrupted the inertial dampeners and she had been flung around while the manacles did a number on her wrists. He looked a bit awkward, standing there while the medical staff buzzed around her. She gazed at him, not feeling much like speaking in her weakened state. She managed a small smile, which he returned with a nod. He told Culber to keep him posted on her condition and left, which didn’t surprise her. She knew he would come to her when they were both ready and she was hardly in any shape to hold a conversation, much less engage in anything more carnal. She eventually nodded off, succumbing to the sleep deprivation.

She felt considerably better upon awakening, and devoured the small plate of bland food that was placed in front of her. She would have liked more, but the doctor warned against eating too much, too quickly. After a few more hours of scans and some dermal regeneration, she was released to guest quarters with a warning to return if she started feeling dizzy. 

Katrina gave her debrief to Starfleet Command while sitting on the couch in her quarters, wrapped in blankets and eating a very large turkey and avocado sandwich. None of the other Admirals seemed to mind and she even got a few smiles. She was ordered to remain on   _ Discovery _ and confirm that the ship was still in working order while the crew conducted a research mission in a remote sector of space. She was also instructed to begin preliminary interrogations of the two Klingon prisoners as soon as she was able to. 

She was surprised that they hadn’t ordered  _ Discovery _ to jump her and the prisoners to the nearest Starbase and suspected that they wanted her to keep an eye on Gabriel. This aligned perfectly with her plan to have some potentially difficult conversations with him and was glad to be able to do so in person rather than over subspace. The opportunity to interrogate her captors was an added bonus.

After a short nap, she remained in her blanket cocoon on the couch and read through reports from the past two days. She learned that it had been some creative thinking by Lieutenant Stamets and Cadet Tilly that had allowed Discovery to track down the Klingon ship and that Michael Burnham had been instrumental in the rescue effort. This raised her opinion of the mutineer greatly and she made a note to have a conversation with her later. When the door chimed, she knew exactly who it was and let him in.

“You look terrible, Gabriel. When was the last time you slept?” He looked as bad as she had felt earlier.

“I’ve dozed off a few times but not properly since you left,” he admitted, and she beckoned him over the couch. He sat down stiffly and looked uncomfortable until she said “oh, for fuck’s sake, come here”. He moved closer to her and she guided him into her arms, resting his head against her chest. He relaxed into her and she lightly scratched her nails along his scalp, making him moan softly. 

“Thank you for rescuing me,” she whispered in his ear. “I probably should be angry but I’m not, just grateful.”

“I’ll always come for you, Kat. You know that,” he muttered back.

“I wasn’t sure you would. I thought that perhaps this ship meant more to you.” He looked up at that comment. He said nothing, which confirmed her suspicions that he was conflicted about his decision to rescue her. He kissed her instead of replying and she didn’t mind. The kiss was gentle and undemanding, but it excited her just the same. 

“We need to have some difficult conversations soon where you tell me everything, and I mean everything. Taking your ship isn’t completely off the table, but I think we can come up with a better solution if we work together.” He sighed in resignation and she lifted his chin up with a fingertip. 

“For now, I should thank you properly. I can see the tension in your muscles, the invisible weight you are carrying. Let me help you with that.” She loved the look on his face when he realized what she meant.

“Are you sure? What about your mental state? You get on my case about not processing traumatic experiences, what about you?.”

“I’m dealing with it, little by little. I have to thank the POW training from command school for making it through relatively unscathed. Back then I learned how to cope with physical and mental stress by compartmentalizing my experience. I’m glad I had that training to fall back on because it helped. I was able to get to a place where I was aware of my physical pain but not demoralized by it. I’ll definitely have some counseling sessions once I get back to the Starbase and maybe some long-term therapy if I need it, but for now I’m ok ”

“You will never cease to amaze me. What about your wrists?”

“Good as new,” she said, twirling her hands around. “I could easily wield my old flogger if I still had it.” He suddenly looked abashed.

“What? Don’t tell me you still have my old flogger.”

“Along with a few other things,” he with a sheepish grin. “I don’t know why I held onto them, I certainly didn’t use your gear with anyone else.” This brought up some complicated feelings, which she tamped down to think about later. 

“Do you want to go get it or do you have something else in mind?”

“As much as I would enjoy that, I don’t have the energy for it at the moment. I need something simple right now, Mistress.”

Calling her Mistress had been his idea, not hers. It made sense to use something other than “Ma’am”, as he already called her that in a professional capacity. She had found it archaic and silly at first, but when she realized how much he got off on saying it, she allowed it. After such a long time, hearing it brought back some fond memories. Some words have power and this particular word held a great deal of power for both of them. She went back to scratching his scalp, digging her nails in just a tiny bit harder than before. He shivered.

“What exactly do you want, pet?” She got to pick that name out and he loved it.

“I want you to order me around, slap my face and then fuck me, Mistress. Use me for your pleasure but don’t hold me down or restrain me.”

“Should I be gentle or mean?”

“A little of both, if you can.”

“I think I can manage that. Any limits besides those? Physical issues?”

“The usual limits, and nothing too energetic. I’m probably going to pass out in your bed afterwards, if you’re ok with that. How about you, how are you feeling?”

“I’m good to go, though my shoulders are still stiff from being chained up. Pet, could you rub them for me?

“Of course, Mistress.” He maneuvered her so that she sat with her back to him and he started kneading her stiff muscles. It felt amazing and she didn’t stifle her quiet grunts. She had been listening to some quiet music before he arrived and it now played as they sat in silence together. Once she felt loosened up, she gently ordered him to stop. 

If her hair had still been long, she would have twisted it up in a bun and pinned it in place with a gold clip. Somehow, that small act always helped her transform. She made do with tying her hair back with an elastic and his face lit up when he saw her do it. She turned back to him and gently stroked his face as he closed his eyes in pleasure. 

“Strip and go lie down on the bed, pet.” 

He looked elated as he got up from the couch and compiled. The man had a submissive streak a lightyear wide, but she was the only one who ever got to see it. She was pleased that he took his time, taking each piece of clothing off and carefully folding it. He wasn’t showing off, but she couldn’t resist needling him a bit.

“Yeah yeah, Gabriel, I know you still have a fine ass and I’ve had plenty of time to admire it. What I want to see now is you on that bed.”

He smirked in reply, the cocky bastard, and removed the last of his clothing. Once he was lying on the bed, she got up from the couch and walked over to him, moving as though she were wearing heels and a corset rather than Starfleet-issue pajamas. She rather missed her corset, which was buried in a box of clothes in her storage unit back on earth. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world to wear, but it made her tits look amazing and Gabriel couldn’t get enough of it. 

She ran a finger down his chest, pleased to see him hold back a shudder so obediently. She stripped out of her pajamas quickly, knowing there was no way to make that particularly sexy, and straddled him on the bed. He wanted her to be mean, so mean she would be

“Tell me your safe word again, pet.”

“Warp core breach. I’m ready, Mistress.”

“Good,” she said, and slapped him hard across the face. He shut his eyes eyes at the sudden pain and when he opened them again, she saw the bliss appear on his face. She felt his cock harden underneath her and she moved her hips slightly, making him squirm.

“Again please, Mistress”

She obliged him with two more slaps and then sat back to watch his cheeks redden. Though it had been many years, falling back into this role felt so natural. She decided that she might as well use the situation to her advantage and start the difficult conversation she needed to have with him. 

“You’ve been naughty, my pet,” she cooed at him. “You haven't been communicating with your  medical staff and you lied your way through your psych evals.” He had the courtesy to look ashamed, which warmed her heart.

“It’s one thing to lie to Starfleet Medical, but lying to me…” She paused to lean forward and whisper in his ear, “is grounds for punishment.” 

This brought up a smug look, so she slapped him a little harder. He yelped slightly at the sting, his eyes tearing up reflexively. 

“This isn’t something to be proud of, Gabriel! I’m terrified for you because you are hurting and refuse to get help. You might be able to bury it now but one of these days it will all come back up and someone could get hurt in the process.” She tried to keep her voice calm and even, but emotion crept up slightly. 

“I’m sorry, Mistress,” he whispered contritely.

“Louder!” she said, slapping him again.

“I’m sorry, Mistress!! I’ll get help, I promise!”

“I don’t believe you mean that. You are an excellent liar but you’ve seem to have forgotten the promise we made to always be honest with each other, no matter what. I’ve held up my part of the deal, now it’s your turn.” Something changed on his face when she said that.

“I’ll do it, but I need your help. Will you help me?”

“Of course I will, but you will need to cooperate with everything I ask of you. Will you do that?” He nodded and she slapped him, lighter this time. A light teasing sting that made his cock twitch under her. 

“Yes, Mistress! I promise to cooperate!”

“Good,” she cooed, leaning over to kiss him gently. “Believe me, we will talk more about that later. For now, what shall I do with you?” She grazed her hands up his sides, tracing gentle patterns over his skin. 

“Please fuck me, Mistress, use me for your pleasure.”    


She rocked against him and he made the most delightful sounds, so she decided to oblige him. She shifted her hips and slid against his cock, closing her eyes in pleasure as it grazed her clit. 

“You feel divine, pet,” she whispered in his ear and he replied with a choked “thank you, Mistress”. He obediently kept silent as she continued to grind against his cock, holding himself back with such beautiful restraint. She felt the heady rush of power at having him completely at her mercy but remembered her promise to be gentle as well as mean . As she kissed him lightly, she slowly slid onto him and relished the quiet moan he couldn’t hold back.

She moved slowly at first, languidly rolling her hips and drinking the sounds from his lips. She placed his hands on her breasts and he knew exactly how to touch her, how to draw out the bite of pleasure-pain that went straight to her clit. She sped up her movements, chasing that pleasure and dragging him along with her. 

_ “Yes, just like that. Fuck, like that. _ ” She panted the words out as she saw him about to break but holding himself back. One of his hands moved to her clit, rubbing against her with steady strokes, bringing her right to the edge. She looked into his eyes and nodded. With one final slide of his thumb she was coming apart, shattering over him, and he followed with a drawn-out sigh. 

She held herself still for a moment, feeling the languid curl of pleasure slowly subside as she kissed him gently. Sliding off of him and onto her back, she tried to make sense of what had just transpired. Her thoughts were all over the place, wondering if it had been a mistake to push him like that or if they had reached a breakthrough. His fingers intertwining with hers brought her out of her head.

“Thank you, Kat, I really needed that.” He brought their joined hands to his lips and gently kissed each of her knuckles. This tender act calmed her and she decided to be lenient. 

“I’ll keep the promise I made earlier and won’t take your ship away, Gabriel. Rescuing me when you did have to definitely tipped the scales in your favor.” He started to launch into a litany of thank yous but she stopped him with a single finger to his lips. 

“As a concession, you will allow me to place a counselor on Discovery. Right now there are no mental health professionals on this ship, which needs to be corrected. You will have twice-weekly therapy sessions for three months and we can re-evaluate after that. Do you accept these terms?”

“Yes,” he replied immediately and without hesitation. “I will do whatever it takes, Kat, you know that. Like I said earlier though, I wish it could be you instead of some therapist I’ve never met. I think our daily sessions would be quite therapeutic.” They both smiled at that.    


“As much as I would enjoy that, I’m afraid the fate of the Federation takes precedence over even you.” She gave him a light kiss and gently stroked his face. “Fortunately, I’ll be onboard for the next few days. I hope we can use that time to our advantage, if you are game.”

“Can we play rock, paper, scissors to see who Doms, the way we used to?” Katrina had completely forgotten about this long-ago practice of theirs, and the reminder sent her into a fit of giggles. 

“Yes,” she said once she had composed herself, “we definitely can.”

“I’m about to pass out, may I sleep here?”

“You may, and I’ll join you. I’m still not at 100% and that little workout of ours took a lot of energy.” They settled into bed with him spooning her and dragged the covers up over themselves. 

“Kat...”

“Yes?”

“Just to warn you, I still get night terrors sometimes.”

“If it happens, should I try to wake you up?”

“I might start thrashing if you do. Could you just hold me until I stop screaming?”

“Of course I will. Always.” 

He responded by kissing the top of her head and tightening his arms around her ever so slightly. After a few moments of listening to his slow breaths, she drifted off to sleep. 


End file.
